Intent. Subdivision Review is provided for in the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-37). Such review makes it possible for the planning board to insure development which is consistent with the zoning ordinance and master plan. It permits the board to review developmental layout, street design, water drainage, and sewerage adequacy, flood hazards and protection/conservation measures. It also makes possible provisions for off tract improvements.
In short, subdivision review establishes rules and standards for division of land within the City in order to promote health, safety, convenience and general welfare.
Any applicant wishing to divide or re-subdivide land within the City shall apply for and obtain approval of the Planning Board in accordance with the procedures outlines in §§ 18.3 to 18.18.
An applicant for subdivision of land shall submit to the Board Secretary four copies of an application form, the application fee (see Article XXII, § 22.1, and 14 copies of a plat containing the information outlines in § 18.9, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 of this article at least three weeks prior to a regular meeting of the Planning Board.
If classified as a minor subdivision, the Planning Board shall have the authority to approve immediately or to forward copies of the plat to City offices or consultants for review. Upon completion of that review and within 45 days of receipt of the completed application, the Board will approve, conditionally approve, or reject the request. If approved a notation to that effect shall be made upon the plat and shall be signed by the Planning Board Chairman and City Clerk and returned to the applicant. If rejected, the reasons shall be noted upon all copies of the application form and one copy of the plat shall be returned to the applicant.
If approved as a minor subdivision, a plat drawn in compliance with the Map Filing Law, P.L. 1960, c. 141 (N.J.S.A. 46:23-9.9 et seq.), shall be filed in the Atlantic County Clerk's office within 190 days of the date on which the resolution of approval is adopted. Unless such a plat is filed, the minor subdivision shall expire. Any such plat shall have been signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Planning Board. The Planning Board may extend the one-hundred-ninety-day period for filing a minor subdivision plat or deed if the developer proves to the reasonable satisfaction of the Planning Board (1) that the developer was barred or legally prevented, directly or indirectly, from filing because of delays in obtaining legally required approvals from other governmental or quasi-governmental entities and (2) that the developer applied promptly for and diligently pursued the required approvals. The length of the extension shall be equal to the period of delay caused by the wait for the required approvals, as determined by the Planning Board. The developer may apply for the extension either before or after what would otherwise be the expiration date.
The Planning Board shall grant an extension of minor subdivision approval for a period determined by the Board but not exceeding one year from what would otherwise be the expiration date, if the developer proves to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board that the developer was barred or prevented, directly or indirectly, from proceeding with the development because of delays in obtaining legally required approvals from other governmental entities and that the developer applied promptly for and diligently pursued the required approvals. A developer shall apply for the extension before (1) what would otherwise be the expiration date of minor subdivision approval or (2) the 91st day after the developer received the last legally required approval from other governmental entities, whichever occurs later.
Note: All approved subdivisions must be submitted by the applicant to the Atlantic County Planning Office for review prior to filing.
The applicant shall submit 14 copies of a minor subdivision plat signed and sealed by a licensed land surveyor and based upon an accurate certified survey at a scale of not more than one inch equals 50 feet. It shall include:
1. 
A key map showing the entire subdivision in relation to the surrounding area and roadway system;
2. 
All existing structures within the parcel to be subdivided;
3. 
The name and address of the owner and the name of all adjoining property owners as disclosed by the most recent Municipal Tax records;
4. 
The tax map sheet, block and lot numbers;
5. 
All existing streets and existing or proposed easements (including public utility easements) within or adjoining the proposed subdivision shall be clearly indicated;
6. 
The dimensions of all proposed lot lines of all new lots being created and parcels being retained; and any existing lot lines to be eliminated by the proposed subdivision shall be clearly indicated;
7. 
Location, size and direction of flow of all streams, brooks, lakes, watercourses, draining structures and drainage ditches in the proposed subdivision;
8. 
North arrow, scale at which the plan is drawn, and date of preparation;
9. 
Acreage of the entire tract and of new parcels being proposed;
10. 
Number of new lots being created;
11. 
Name and address of the owner, subdivider and person preparing the plat;
12. 
The classification of the zoning district or districts in which the proposed subdivision is located, and a table listing conformance or nonconformance with zoning regulations in the districts;
13. 
The location of any proposed open space or recreation areas.
The submission shall be accompanied by a certification from the City Tax Collector that all taxes are paid to date.
If a sketch plat submitted in accordance with the requirements of § 18.3 is classified as a major subdivision, a notation to that effect shall be made on the plat and it shall be returned to the applicant for compliance with §§ 18.11 to 18.19.
An application for preliminary major subdivision review and approval shall submit 14 copies of a preliminary plat clearly drawn and accurately reproduced at a scale of not more than one inch equals 50 feet designed and drawn by a professional engineer and land surveyor, along with four copies of a completed application for preliminary approval and the appropriate fee (See XXII, § 22.1) to the City Clerk at least three weeks prior to the regular Planning Board meeting. The City Clerk shall keep one copy and submit the others to the Secretary of the Planning Board.
The preliminary plat shall show or be accompanied by the following information:
1. 
All of the information requested in § 18.8 to 18.9 of this article. In the event that site plan and subdivision approval are sought simultaneously, information need not overlap.
2. 
Proposed street pattern in the subdivided area, distance to nearest existing developed area, relationship of parcel to existing roadways.
3. 
Profiles and cross sections of proposed streets and of existing roadways abutting the subdivision. Cross sections shall how type and width of paving, location and type of curb, location of sidewalks, existing or proposed sight triangles at intersections and radii of curblines.
4. 
Elevation contours on a one-foot contour interval referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
5. 
Boundaries of flood plain and wetlands areas as shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps and State Department of Environmental Protection Wetlands Maps.
6. 
Location and extent of drainage or conservation easements and stream encroachment lines.
7. 
Plans and computations for storm drainage systems and retention facilities.
8. 
Location of underground or surface utilities.
9. 
Soil borings as may be required by the City Engineer.
10. 
List of off-tract improvements required for subdivision completion.
11. 
Pinelands designation shall be shown. The application and preliminary plan shall be accompanied by a letter of intent stating the following information: type of structures to be erected, nature of commercial use (if any) approximate date of construction start, estimated number of lots on which final approval will be requested.
12. 
A landscape plan conforming to district regulations in which the subdivision is located.
1. 
Upon receipt of plat and accompanying exhibits from the applicant, the Board Secretary will distribute copies of the preliminary plat and attached exhibits to: City Engineer, City Conservation Official, City Planner, County Planning Board, any other official or agency who may be affected by the proposed subdivision.
2. 
Officials and agencies cited in one above shall forward reviews and recommendations in writing to the Planning Board within 30 days of receipt. During the same time period the subdivision committee shall review the plat for completeness and shall notify the developer of its findings within 45 days. In reviewing the subdivision request, the Planning Board shall be guided by standards set forth within various zoning districts (see Articles IV to XVII) and by the additional standards established in Article XXI.
3. 
After all comments have been received and after a public hearing pursuant to § 21.13 of Article XXI of this ordinance and if no substantial amendments have resulted from review hearing, the Planning Board shall:
a) 
For subdivisions of 10 or fewer lots, grant or deny preliminary approval within 45 days of the date of submission of a completed application or within such further time as may be consented to by the developer.
b) 
For subdivision of 10 or more lots, grant or deny preliminary approval within 95 days of the date of receipt of a completed application or within such further time as may be consented to by the developer.
c) 
In both a) and b) of this section, approval shall be conditional upon receipt of the required County approval and may be conditioned upon the receipt of approvals from various State and/or Federal Agencies.
4. 
If the Planning/Zoning Board requires any substantial amendment in the layout of the improvements proposed by the developer that have been the subject of a hearing, an amended application shall be submitted and proceeded upon as in the case of the original application for development.
5. 
In the case of planned developments the Planning/Zoning Board shall find that the development conforms with the design, density, recreational, and environmental standards established by ordinance to planned developmental districts.
6. 
The disclosure requirements set out in the Municipal Land Use Law, L. 1977, c.336 (1978); New Jersey Statute 40:55D-48.1, 48.2 and 48.3 shall be complied with.
1. 
The general terms and conditions on which preliminary approval was granted shall not be changed except that the municipality may by ordinance modify such general terms and conditions as relate to public health and safety.
2. 
The applicant may submit for final approval on or before the expiration date of preliminary approval, the whole or a section or sections of the preliminary subdivision plat or site plan, as the case may be.
3. 
The applicant may apply for and the Planning/Zoning Board may grant extensions on such preliminary approval for additional periods for at least one year but not to exceed a total extension of two years provided that if the design standards have been reviewed by ordinance, such revised standards may govern.
4. 
In the case of a subdivision of or a site plan for an area of 50 acres or more, the Planning Board may grant the above rights for such period of time longer than three years, as shall be determined by the Planning Board taking into consideration the number of dwelling units and non-residential floor area permissible under preliminary approval, economic conditions and the comprehensiveness of the development.
The applicant may apply for thereafter and the Planning Board may thereafter grant an extension to preliminary approval for such additional period of time as shall be determined by the Planning Board to be reasonable taking into consideration the number of welling units and non-residential floor area permissible under preliminary approval, the potential number of dwelling units and non-residential floor area of the section or sections awaiting final approval, economic conditions and the comprehensiveness of the development, provided that if the design standards have been revised, such revised standards may govern. If the Planning Board acts favorably upon a preliminary plat, the Chairman and Secretary of the Board shall affix their signatures to the plat with a notation that it has received preliminary approval and shall return same to the subdivider for compliance with final approval requirements. Where conditional approval is granted, the Chairman and the Secretary of the Board shall affix their signatures to the plat only where all conditions required for approval have been met.
An application for final approval shall be submitted to the Planning Board within three years from the date on which the resolution of preliminary approval is adopted. The application in triplicate and appropriate fee (see Article XXII, § 22.1) shall be accompanied by one original tracing, one translucent cloth copy and 12 black and white prints at a scale of not more than one inch equals 50 feet and shall be submitted to the Board Secretary at least three weeks prior to the regular meeting of the Planning Board.
Final submission plats shall be drawn in ink on translucent tracing cloth or its equivalent and shall comply with all provisions of the Map Filing Law, N.J.S.A. 46:23.9.9 et seq. The final plat shall show or be accompanied by only that information and those details specified in the aforementioned New Jersey Map Filing Law or in the following list:
(1) 
The date, location and name of the subdivision, name of the owners, graphic scale and reference meridian.
(2) 
Tract boundary lines, right-of-way lines of street names, easements and other rights-of-way, land to be reserved or dedicated to public use, lot lines and other site plans, all with accurate dimensions, bearings or deflection angles, and the radii, arcs and central angles of all curves. Distances and bearings shall be on North American Datum of 1927, or North American Datum of 1983, as specified by the Engineer.
(3) 
The purpose of any easement or land reserved or dedicated to public use shall be designated and the proposed use of sites other than residential shall be noted.
(4) 
All natural and artificial watercourses, streams, shorelines, water boundaries and encroachment lines shall be shown. Final storm water outfalls in retention basins or other receiving bodies of water shall be identified by coordinates based on the datum specified in paragraph B(2) above.
(5) 
Each block shall be numbered and the lots within each block shall be numbered consecutively, beginning with Number 1.
(6) 
Minimum building setback lines on all lots and other sites.
(7) 
The location and description of all monuments.
(8) 
The names of owners of adjoining land parcels.
(9) 
Certification by a licensed land surveyor as to the accuracy of details of the plat.
(10) 
Certification that the applicant is the owner or equitable owner of the land or a representative thereof or that the owner has given consent under an option agreement.
(11) 
An updated certification from the Tax Collector that there are no delinquent taxes charged to the property involved in the subdivision.
(12) 
The preliminary plat, engineering details, cross sections and profiles of streets and plan and profiles of storm drainage systems, approved by the Engineer, shall be required to accompany the final plat, with all conditions of preliminary approval met and reviewed by the Engineer prior to final plat submission.
(13) 
Plans and profiles of sanitary sewers and water mains, will be required to accompany the final plat.
(14) 
When approval of a plat is required by an officer or body of the municipality, county or state, approval shall be certified on the plat prior to its filing in the office of the Board Secretary.
(15) 
All approvals and permits from other agencies.
The final plat shall include all of the information requested in § 18.12 of this article and shall additionally incorporate all changes or modifications required by the Planning Board including conditions of preliminary approval. The plat shall be accompanied by the following:
1. 
A letter from the applicant stating that no changes other than those noted on the plat have occurred.
2. 
A letter from the City Engineer indicating that the applicant has completed the installation of all improvements in accordance with the requirements of this ordinance or posted with the City Clerk a performance guarantee in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of all improvements required as estimated by applicants engineer and approved by the City Engineer.
3. 
A letter from the City Tax Collector certifying that all taxes have been paid to date.
4. 
A letter from the Board Secretary indicating the amount, form and content of the maintenance guarantee accepted by City Council, and that fees estimated by the City Engineer required for construction inspection costs other than those relating to building permit have been paid (see Article XXII, § 22.1).
The Planning Board shall grant final approval if the detailed drawings, specifications and estimates of the application for final approval conform to the standards established by this Ordinance for final approval, the conditions of preliminary approval, and in the case of a major subdivision, the standards subscribed by the "Map Filing Law", P.L. 1960, c. 141, N.J.S.A. 46:23-9.9 et seq.). Provided that in the case of a planned unit development, planned unit residential development or residential cluster, the Planning Board may permit minimal deviations from the conditions of preliminary approval necessitated by change of conditions beyond the control of the developer since the date of the preliminary approval without the developer being required to submit another application for development for preliminary approval.
1. 
Final approval shall be granted or denied within 45 days after submission of a complete application to the Administrative Officer, or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant.
2. 
If the Planning Board approves, a notation to that effect shall be made on each plat and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Planning Board.
3. 
Whenever review or approval of the application by the County Planning Board is required by § 5 of P.L. 1968, c. 285, N.J.S.A. 40:27-6.3), in the case of a subdivision, the Planning Board shall condition any approval that it grants upon timely receipt of a favorable report on the application by the County Planning Board or approval by the County Planning Board by its failure to report thereon within the required time period. The applicant is responsible for submitting the necessary documents to the County for review.
Final approval of a major subdivision shall expire 95 days from the date of signing the plat unless within such period the plat shall have been duly filed by the developer with the County Clerk. At the expiration of the 95 days, the Planning Board Secretary shall check with the County Clerk to ascertain whether such filing has occurred, if the County Clerk has not notified the Planning Board Secretary of such filing. The Planning Board may for good cause shown extend the period for recording for an additional period not to exceed 190 days from the date of the signing of the plat. The Planning Board may extend the ninety-five-day or one-hundred-ninety-day period if the developer proves to the reasonable satisfaction of the Planning Board that the developer was barred or prevented, directly or indirectly, from filing because of delays in obtaining legally required approvals from other governmental or quasi-governmental entities and (2) that the developer applied promptly for and diligently pursued the required approvals. The length of the extension shall be equal to the period of delay caused by the wait for the required approvals, as determined by the Planning Board. The developer may apply for an extension either before or after the original extension date.